Winter Kill Stats

[RC]

Everything I've been seeing is that our snow packs for nearly every area of the state is 100% of normal.

[buckfvr]

Everything I've been seeing is that our snow packs for nearly every area of the state is 100% of normal.

Key word there being "normal", so dont expect above normal or abnormal winter kill.   

[milldozer]

As far as WA snowpack, the attached pdf should give some perspective.

[boneaddict]

Wolves killed more deer than the snowpack did

[buckfvr]

Wolves killed more deer than the snowpack did

Way more   

[bigmacc]

Wolves killed more deer than the snowpack did

Throw in cougars and bears and our deer and elk are getting hammered even after the snow is gone. 24/7/365

[buckcanyonlodge]

Yeah, but the wolves only hammered the sick and diseased deer & elk.....by the way I have some great waterfront property on Lake Roosevelt with access to great tarpon and tuna fishing. Only $587 per acre.

[idaho guy]

Animals don't get stuck in the mtns.  They get down outta there.  I think we've pretty well dodged the bullet in Washington. What is getting those states is there was no escaping the winter.  They got early snow, then freezing weather and the cycle continued from November until now. Here early snow and then some melt and then a little more snow but continued to get some clearing between storms. Our storms were not nearly as heavy as those state have had either nor did it get down as low into the wintering areas.  They also had terrible drought conditions going into the winter that kept normal browse in poor condition all summer and fall.  Kind of a perfect pattern for bad winter kill. Road kill has also been terrible in those states.

It kinda a phrase that I use.
"Getting stuck in the mountains."
Yes I agree all animals will migrate .
It the energy and lack of food,if they waited to long to migrate.
Big storms,4 feet of snow in a 24 hour period.
Deer or elk have to migrate now through 4 feet of snow 5-10 miles down.
Even when they hit winter grounds ,low elevation,there as good as dead. They used to much ,to get to a spot where they can survive.

Another phrase I used was
"Supplemental feeding"

That's not just people feeding,that's anytime they are eating stuff that is not browse.
Field that's not plowed,breaking into hay sheds,livestock feed areas,an old bale left in the field.
Snowplowed along the edge of a road and there is some grass showing.
Anything man made ,that will cause them to eat stuff that isn't browse.

 

 Big sudden storms have trapped deer and elk in the high country. That does happen occasionally 👍 and results obviously in massive winter kill

[zwickeyman]

IMHO

Its not the snow pack, its the snow in wintering areas and they are 2 different things

[Ironhead]

IMHO

Its not the snow pack, its the snow in wintering areas and they are 2 different things